Zitat

A pavement preservation project involving chip-sealing and asphalt work within Capitol Reef National Park will be occurring in the Fruita National Historic District and along the Scenic Drive in mid-June 2015, weather dependent. This work, with Federal Highways, will improve road conditions in the park and increase safety for visitors. The following is a list of closures to allow for the road work.
Sunday June 14 - the Scenic Drive will be closed beyond the fee station starting this evening.
Monday June 15 & Tuesday June 16 - the Scenic Drive beyond the fee station will remain closed and will be chip-sealed. The road is tentatively scheduled to be open the morning of the 17th.
Wednesday June 17 - the remainder of the Scenic Drive from UT Highway 24 to the fee station will be chip-sealed with sections of one-lane travel open with traffic control. There may be delays and temporary closures.
Wednesday June 17 & Thursday June 18 - the Panorama Point road will be closed for chip-sealing.
During construction activities, please use extreme caution and drive carefully. We appreciate your patience while these improvements are occurring. Schedule is subject to change due to weather.

Torrey - gateway town for Capitol Reef National Park

Zitat

This Utah town was just called the 'most criminally overlooked town' in the state
The small Utah town of Torrey received some national and viral attention this week.
Only In Your State, a website that highlights unique places in various states, featured the Wayne County town, calling it the "most criminally overlooked town" in the Beehive State.
Torrey serves as a gateway town for Capitol Reef National Park, according to the town's website.
Mormon settlers founded the town in 1880s. It's also home to the Tour of Utah's second stage.
Funny enough, the town's name has its own legend. According to the town's website, folklore suggests the town received its name from one of President Theodore Roosevelt's rough riders, Colonel Torrey.
The population — about 180 people — is an eclectic mix of Utahns.
"Torrey is currently home for an eclectic group of people," the town's website says. "There is a mixture of the descendants of the pioneers and a variety of newcomers, many of whom like to hike and explore the vast surroundings of mountains & canyons & deserts & rivers."
But there's a lot more to do in Torrey than just visit the townsfolk. You can check out Capitol Reef National Park, visit Boulder Mountain, cruise along state Route 12 — known as the All American Road — and spend time at art galleries in the town, according to USA Today.

Zitat

Capitol Reef National Park will celebrate its 80th anniversary as part of the National Park Service Wednesday with a variety of special events.
President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed Capitol Reef a national monument on Aug. 2, 1937. President Richard Nixon then signed legislation that created Capitol Reef National Park on Dec. 18, 1971.
The day's celebration begins at 9 a.m. outside the visitor center, where there will be a brief ranger-led history talk and complimentary cupcakes.
At 8:45 p.m. at the campground amphitheater, artist-in-residence David Boys will perform some of the compositions he has created in parks and monuments throughout the country.

Zitat

In 2018, Capitol Reef National Park will see changes to the park entrance fee and the group camp site and to the management of the Fruita developed campground.
To support park operations, a fee increase of $5.00 was approved this month for Capitol Reef’s entrance fees. The cost per vehicle will be $15.00 starting January 1, 2018. There are no other entry fee changes at this time. The majority of funds collected from entrance fees and campground operations help fund park projects, improvements, and operations that benefit the visitor experience.

Camping at the 71-site developed Fruita campground is a popular activity at Capitol Reef National Park. “With the campground being remote and first-come, first-served, it can be a challenge to find a site in the busy season” says park staff Keri Pace. In an effort to allow for advanced trip planning the majority of the campsites will be reservable starting next year.
Campers will be able to book reservations for campsites for the 2018 season at www.recreation.gov, a well-established reservation system, starting February 1, 2018. The majority of campsites will be reservable from March 1 to October 31, with a handful of sites remaining first-come, first-served. The campsites will not be on the reservation system from November 1 to the end of February. The cost for an individual campsite will remain $20.00 per site and accommodate up to eight people, with a reduced rate for Access and Senior Pass holders.

Zitat

Fruit season is upon us. Cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, apples, and pears are typically available for harvest each summer at Capitol Reef National Park. The prediction for the 2018 fruit season shows that the bloom will begin in mid-March and will last two to three weeks. This year we expect to have cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, apples and pears available. Apricots are expected to be available the first week of July. Apples and pears will begin being available in mid-August and the main peach harvest is expected to occur the last week of August. Apples and pears will be available through September.

“Fruit harvest times should range from June through October” says horticulturist Amanda Snodgrass. Current fruit harvest information and pricing is recorded on the Capitol Reef Fruit Hotline as fruit ripens and specific harvest start dates are determined. The fruit hotline may be reached by calling (435) 425-3791. Once the park number connects, press one for general information and, at the next prompt for the orchard hotline, press five. Fruit harvest information is also posted on the park’s Facebook page and Twitter feed. Information on the Fruita orchards is available on the park’s website at www.nps.gov/care under “plan your visit.”

Climbing fruit trees is not permitted in the park. The National Park Service provides special fruit picking ladders. Use care when picking fruit and carefully read and follow posted instructions on fruit picking and ladder use. Please bring your own bag.

Capitol Reef National Park uses the money collected from fruit sales to defray the cost of maintaining the orchards. The historic Fruita orchards are among the largest in the National Park System and were established beginning in the 1880s by Mormon pioneer residents of Fruita.

Zitat

Fruit harvest season is approaching! Cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, apples, and pears are typically available for harvest each summer at Capitol Reef National Park. Predictions for the 2019 fruit season show that the bloom may begin in early April and last for two to three weeks. Bing Cherries are expected to be available in limited quantities beginning in mid-June, and should last throughout the month. Apricots are expected to become available the last week of June. Apples and pears may begin in early August and the main peach harvest is expected to occur in late August.

“Cool temperatures and average rainfall indicate a strong fruit harvest this year, with bloom starting in early April.” says Orchard Technician Fritz Maslan. Current fruit harvest information and pricing is recorded on the Capitol Reef Fruit Hotline as fruit ripens and specific harvest start dates are determined. The fruit hotline may be reached by calling (435) 425-3791. Once the park number connects, press one for general information and, at the next prompt for the orchard hotline, press five. Fruit harvest information is also posted on the park’s Facebook page and Twitter feed. Information on the Fruita orchards is available on the park’s website at www.nps.gov/care under “plan your visit.”

Capitol Reef National Park uses the money collected from fruit sales to defray the cost of maintaining the orchards. The historic Fruita orchards are among the largest in the National Park System and were established in the 1880s by Mormon pioneer residents of Fruita. These orchards exhibit historic methods of fruit production that are rarely seen today, and give us insights into how challenging fruit production can be without the use of modern methods. The Fruita orchards are also home to several rare fruit varieties including the Capitol Reef Red apple.

The National Park Service provides special fruit picking ladders, and climbing fruit trees is not permitted in the park. Use care when picking fruit and carefully read and follow posted instructions on fruit picking and ladder use. Please bring your own bags for collecting fruit.